Conservation

Public water and private power in Colorado

The Blue River Question

The put-in (pictured) is essentially a rappel, while the take-out includes a 100-yard forest drag to a mud pit of a parking lot.
Anyone who’s floated Colorado’s Blue River downstream of Green Mountain Reservoir knows the rigmarole of getting your boat in and out of the river. The put-in (pictured) is essentially a rappel, while the take-out includes a 100-yard forest drag to a mud pit of a parking lot.
Words: Zach Weinzetl | Photos and Captions: Tim Romano

The lower Blue River west of Denver in Colorado’s Rocky Mountains has long been celebrated as one of the most scenic and productive fisheries in the West. Flowing just over 15 miles from the outlet of Green Mountain Reservoir to its confluence with the Colorado River, this iconic stretch is home to wild cutt-bows, rainbows, browns and—more recently—hybrid species like palomino and tiger trout. The corridor teems with life: moose, elk, deer and pronghorn roam its meadows. For decades, anglers and rafters have floated these waters, drawn by fish-filled currents and the promise of public recreation in a wild and sacred place.

Today this stretch feels different—restricted, patrolled, obstructed. What was once a vibrant artery of public enjoyment has become increasingly controlled, shaped by one of America’s wealthiest individuals: billionaire Paul Tudor Jones, owner of Blue Valley Ranch. Through a controversial land exchange, Jones traded 1,830 acres of Blue Valley Ranch for 1,489 acres of land overseen by the Bureau of Land Management. On paper, it looked like a win for the public. But the value of a riverbank cannot be measured in acreage alone.

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